Ignition device for internal-combustion engines.



C. T. MASON.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION F lLED JAN-23,1912.

5] wuentoz Patented May 16, 1916.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN- 23, 1912.

Patented May 16, 1916.

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ZZZ Mam avwemto'o LVI-hwooeo C. T. MASON.

KGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED H.211, 1912.

Patented May16, 1916.

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CHARLES THOMAS MASON, OF SUMTER, SGUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TD SlL-ITDORF ELECTRICAL CQMPANY; OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ACORPORATIQN 0F NYE-1V JERSEY.

IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented May 1c, 1916.

Application filed-January 23, 1912. Serial No. 672,921.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES THOMAS MASON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Sumter, in the county ofSumter and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ignition Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing.

My invention relates to alternating current dynamos such as used withinternal combustion engines for ignition purposes, and more particularlyto dynamos used with engines where the time of ignition is varied.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device of this naturewhereby the intensity of the spark is the same whether the engineignition is advanced or retarded. I also provide improved methods ofoiling, of adjusting the position of the dynamo as the,

spark is advanced and retarded, of timing the armature of the dynamo inrelation to the engine, and an improved terminal arrangement.

While alternating current dynamos are used with engines having variableignition, they usually have the objection of producing aweak spark in aretarded position if properly timed to give the maximum spark in theadvanced position. In other words the spark is not uniform throughoutthe entire range from extreme retard to full ad- Vance My inventionavoids this difficulty and provides a better structure embodyingtheimprovements hereinbefore mentioned.

Figure 1 is a side view of a dynamo embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is anend view of the dynamo. Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section. Fig. iis a view looking down on top of the machine slightly modilied showingthe timing means I employ, Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the endplate and terminal I employ. Fig. 6 is an external end view of theterminal.

The same letters and figures of reference denote the same parts whereverthey are shown.

For the sake of illustration 1 show a type of dynamo commonly known as amagneto, this being of the permanent magnet type,

i but it is obvious that any type of field magnets may be employed, andit will be further understood that the armature design and constructionmay be of any suitable character. I

The reference character 1 denotes the permanent magnets, in the magneticfield of which is placed the armature, the shaft of i which is shown at2. The armature shaft is supported by suitable end plates 3 and 4:usually constructed from a non-magnetic metal.

' Ti e end plates have shoulders which are.

carried in supports 5 and 6, in which the magnet structure as a whole isfree to turn.

These supports may be made ofnon-magnetic material, in which case theyare connected by suitable members 7, 8, 9 and 10 of magnetic material;or the connecting members maybe non-magnetic and the supports magnetic,the idea being to eliminate as much as possible magnetic leakage throughthe supports and connecting memhers, which would be very great if all ofture is free to rotate in bearings in the mag net structure end plates 3and 4. It will also be noted that the magnet structure carrying. therevoluble armature is supported in the cradle formed by the supports 5and 6, so that the entire machine consists of the following main parts,to wit: a sta-, tionary cradle supporting a movable magnet structurewhich in turn supports a revoluble armature.

Attached to any portion of the dynamo, for instance to the top of.same,as shown in Fig. 2, I provide the piece 11 and the connecting rod 12, bymeans of which the magnet structure may be tilted in any position. sparkmechanism on an engine having a make and break igniter so that theposition of the dynamo is altered in unison with the igniter mechanism.p

In one or both of the supports 5 and 6 I provide a recess in which isplaced the block 13 of any. suitable material, against which bears thescrew or other adiusting means 14, whereby a frictional res stance canbe established between the support 6 The rod 12 may be connected to thesuitable oil holes 15, communicating with a pocket 16 in the end plateofsuch proportions that oil placed in; will always find its way to theearing for shaft 2 regardless -j of the position of the magnet structurerelative to its supports. This same oil serves "to lubricate theshoulders of the end plates where they rest in the supports.

In the feet of the supports are placed suitable holes 29 and whereby thesupports a may be bolted to a suitable support and geared to the engineby a suitable gear placed on shaft 2. When so mounted it is evident themagnet structure may be moved about the shaft 2 as a center, thet'lbyaltering the position of the dynamo field in relation to the timing ofthe engine without altering the position of the armature in relation tothe timing of the engine, conseuently the spark is produced at the peakoft e wave and is always of the same intensity --regardless of theposition of the dynamo field, as the pole ieces arealtered in theirEosition'in regar to the armature so as to eepthe dynamo en me. ofacilitate timing the dynamo with the engine, theshoulder 17 on the endplate 3. is

provided with suitable marks such as R and and a disk 18 is secured tothearmature shaft, this disk havin one or more notches N therein. Thenote N- shows the armature position, marks-R and L. the peak positlonsright and left hand rotation. Now supposing the rotation to be righthand'and the engine to be equipped with a make and Hi break igniter,themagnet structure should be placed in the starting position shown bythe heavy lines Fig. 2, and the engine turned over slowly until theigniter snaps, then with the usual driving gear loose on the armatureshaft turn the'setting disk 18 until N is in a line with R (iftherotation were left-handed, the magnet structure would be tilted in theopposite direction and N would be set to L). The driving gear is nowposi- 55 tively secured to shaft 2' and the dynamo connected to theigniter by a wire from the insulated terminal 19, the circuit beingcompleted through the engine frameand the frame of the dynamo as oneside of the arframe. 7

As the magnet structure is moved it is obvious that if the terminal forthe insu-' lated side of the armature winding was ii mounted on thedynamo proper it would properly timed -with the in relation to the polepieces for wave to be utilized at the mature winding is connected to thedynamo also move, and there would be danger of breaking the connectingwire. I obviate this by associating the terminal with the stationarysupport 6 in such amanner that it is stationary at all times. v I

The terminal piece 19 is mounted in an insulating support 20 in which itis held by any suitable means, such as the clamp .21; positioned in 19are the conducting brushes 22- and 23 which bear against the stud 24mounted in the insulating bushing 25 carried in the hollow shaft 26 ofthe dynamo armature. The inner end of 24 carries a terminal 27 to whichis attached one end of the armature winding, the other end of same beinggrounded on the frame.

To prevent oil from interfering with the electrical contact between thebrushes and the stud 24, the oil drain 28 is provided, and a free openspace between the bearing of the armature. shaft 26 and the brushes isarranged into which any oil escaping from the bearing may drain. a Inoperation, to start an engine equipped with this dynamo and with a makeand break igniter the dynamo field and igniter should be laced in thestarting or retarded position and the engine started in the ordinarymanner, after which the spark may be advanced by moving the igniter andd namo field to the running position.

en starting the dynamo field being tipped in the irection in which thearmature is rotating and timed definitely with the engine, the.pole'pieces are in proper relation to the armature to secure the peak ofthe current wave when the igniter snaps.

.Now were the igniter advanced and the dynamo field remained stationary,the position of the armature'to the pole pieces would be changed and thepeak of the wave would no longer be utilized when the igniter operated,but by moving the dynamo field opposite to thedirection in which thearmature is rotating the relation of the pole pieces to the armature ischanged and coincides properly with the timing of the igniter, andenables the peak of the current proper instant. I claim i 1. In anignition dynamo, an armature having end plates, co-axial shafts securedto said end plates, a magnet structure formmg a housing for saidarmature, end plates on said housing forming supports for said shafts,outwardly projecting shoulders on said end plates, a su port for saidshoulders, a circuit termina carried by saidsupport, a circuit terminalcarried by one of said shafts, and connecting means between said circuitterminals. f v

2. :In an ignition dynamo, a revoluble armature core adapted to carry awinding, heads attached to said core,

shafts attached to said heads, a field structure, end plates 1,1aa,oae

attached to said fieldstructure and formcuring access to any of theinternal parts of ing supports for said shafts, and a supporting cradlefor -said end plates wherein said plates and the parts they carry aremovable, said cradle comprising end members connected by rods,substantially as described.

3. In an ign'tion dynamo, pole pieces, an

armature, a s aft therefor, an insulatedcontact piece forming a flat endon said shaft, relatively rotatable supports for said shaft forming endplates fo'r-the dynamopole pieces, fixed supports for said rotatablesupports, whereby the latter are freely mov able about the armatureaxis, an insulated terminal carried by said last mentioned supports, andconducting means between said terminal and contact piece.

4. In an ignition dynamo, pole pieces, an

armature,'an' insulated contact piece forming a flat end on the shaft ofsaid armature,

relatively rotatable supports for said shaft forming end, plates 'forthe dynamo pole pieces, fixed supports for said rotatablesupports-whereby the latter are freely movable about the armature axis,an insulated terminallcarried by a split collar on one of the fixedsupports, and conducting means between said terminal andcontact piece.

' 5. In an ignition dynamo,stationary supports, afield structure carriedthereby, a rotatable armature, and a two part timing indicator havingone part in fixed relation to said field structure and the other partattached to said armature whereby the rela- 'tive adjustment of saidarmature to said field may be accurately determined by open visualindication without removing or prothe device.

6. In an ignition dynamo, stationary supports forming a base, a fieldstructure carried thereby and movable therein, a rotatable armature inworking relation to said field structure and having a shaft extendingoutside said supports, and a two part timing indicator, one partin fixedrelation to said field structure and external said supports, and theother part attached to said shaft and movable therewith for timingpurposes, substantially as described.

7. In an ignition dynamo, an armature having an end plate, a hollowshaft secured to said plate, an insulated contact piece in said shaft, abearing plate supporting said shaft an outwardly projecting shoulder onsaid bearing plate, a supporting member engaging said shoulder, aninsulated terminal carried by said supporting member, and connectingmeans between said terminal and said contact piece.

8. In an ignition dynamo, a cradle'comprising two end member formingsupports, a magnet structure carried in said supports and rotatabletherein, an armature carried in said magnet structure and means -forclamping said magnet structure in said cradle, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES THOMAS MASON.

Witnesses:

F. G. MANNING, H. P. VAN DEVEN'TER.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for five cents each," byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Wuhingtomhd.

